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Do I need to be
concerned about my bird’s beak and nails?
Most wild birds are naturally very active during the day and would
normally encounter a huge variety of perching textures and perch
sizes in their wild environment. This, along with ordinary preening
and grooming, wears the nails down and helps maintain consistent
length and health of the nails. Unfortunately, in captivity, the bird
typically has perches of the same size and smooth texture. This leads
to an imbalance in the rate of nail growth and the rate of wear.
Without trimming, the beak and nails could become overgrown and
flaky. Overgrown nails may become caught or trapped and cause
injuries to the bird.
The beak is a
multipurpose instrument used for eating, preening, grasping,
climbing, self-defense, touching, playing and communication. It is
capable of great strength and gentle touch. The beak is also
constantly growing but tends to stay a relatively constant length
because the bird is always wearing it down as it eats, climbs and
plays. After a bird eats, you may see it wipe and clean its beak on
an object in the cage such as a perch. This provides a wearing action
for the beak. Your pet may also grind its upper and lower beak
together, which further wears down the beak. This grinding of the
beak often occurs when the bird is quiet or about to sleep, often in
the later afternoon. Providing your bird with pet-safe toys and
chewing activities will not only help wear down the beak, but will
provide hours of entertainment for your pet. As a general rule, if a
beak appears too long there could be a problem and it should be seen
by your veterinarian. It is not advisable to ever attempt to
trim the beak at home. A veterinarian familiar with birds will trim
or grind the beak properly during regular health examinations as
needed.
Can
I trim my bird’s nails at home?
Careful when
trimming the nails. The quick is the blood and nerve supply that
grows part way down the middle of each nail. In light colored nails
it is visible as the pink area in the nail. In dark or black nails
the quick is completely hidden. When cut, the quick may bleed
profusely. Birds do not have a very good clotting mechanism, so be
careful. If you choose to attempt nail trims at home then you must
have a clotting agent or styptic powder on hand. A pet store or your
veterinarian may have a safe pet product available. Powdered clotting
agents seem to work better than liquids.
Your veterinarian
can trim the nails safely during regular health examinations and is
prepared to deal with any bleeding should it occur. Some
veterinarians may use an electric grinder on the nails and beak of
larger birds such as parrots, cockatoos and macaws.
What else can I
do at home to help the beak and nails?
Do not use
sandpaper perch covers as they do not keep the nails short and could
cause terrible sores on the bottom of the feet. Natural washed
branches from non-toxic trees make great perches. Trees such as elm,
apple, plum, pear, magnolia, citrus trees, and poplar are just a few
suggestions, Leave the bark on for texture and chewing. They should
be of varying sizes and provide the opportunity for the bird to grip
or grasp the perch, not just stand on with open feet. Birds are less
likely to slip off, startle or fall from perches that they are able
to grasp tightly. Varying sized perches provide better exercise for
the bird’s feet. For the larger birds, a single ceramic or cement
perch may be a beneficial aid in safely wearing the beak and nails
down. Cement or ceramic perches have been observed to cause excessive
wearing of the beak if used as the only or most frequently used perch
in the cage. For smaller birds such as a finch, budgie or cockatiel,
cuttle bones, lava rock and mineral or iodized blocks may be helpful
as a wearing surface for the beak.
Any changes in the
rate of growth, color, texture symmetry or the way the beak or nail
grows should be brought to the attention of your veterinarian
immediately. |
